Flights first or visa first?

jjsebba · Apr 23rd 2012, 11:59 am

Hi

I have a job offer in Palmy and really aiming to be there by mid July at the latest. We've had a few hiccups so things have taken longer than I'd planned (passport renewal and SA police clearance)

Do I wait to get my work visa issued first and then book (possibly at a higher price due to it being last minute,)or book flights and hope and pray that I get the visa in time?

Thanks

Janine

ellenl · Apr 23rd 2012, 4:15 pm

Hi there,
I had the same problem a while back with my partners visa but we ended up just changing the flights & paying for the changes (most fares are flexible)
Ended up paying a little more than at first, check the type of fare you are buying, make sure its flexible?
If you see a really good bargain flight i'd get it now.

Ellen

crumpy10 · Apr 23rd 2012, 6:18 pm

Not sure! Have you looked at skyscanner? its where we go to get flight prices, we can get a flight to NZ in june for 604 quid each... one way of course!

HTH????

Anna

Bemused_and_bewildered · Apr 25th 2012, 8:35 am

We booked flights and the visas arrived 3 days before we left - cutting it a bit fine! You can let immigration know that you have flights booked and they'll move your application from the slow lane to the slightly faster lane.

jjsebba · Apr 25th 2012, 8:43 am

Hi Bemused.

thanks very much.
When I spoke to them yesterday, they advised NOT to book flights, but we REALLY need to get a deadline for things to be done by and my employer also wants to know when I'm going to start.
3 days is a bit fine, but I will probably go that route. How do you go about informing Immi you have booked flights?

MrsFychan · Apr 25th 2012, 8:56 am

my OH got a work visa as well as the ITA so he started immediately in September. Myself and the kids came out a couple of months later on return flights as visa had not been approved when we flew over. We came over in January and the visas were approved in February. we moved the process of getting the Blueys over to Wellington for them to stick into our passports.

whitesand · Apr 25th 2012, 11:40 am

I think you'd be very wise to wait until you have all the paperwork sorted. They advise you to do this and it's for good reason.

jjsebba · Apr 25th 2012, 11:43 am

suppose. we just have to be patient and hope things come through quickly.
we may get visas on the Monday and have to have flights for the Weds or so!
fingers crossed.

Bemused_and_bewildered · Apr 25th 2012, 6:47 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by whitesand

I think you'd be very wise to wait until you have all the paperwork sorted. They advise you to do this and it's for good reason.

Absolutely correct, but when you have a start date for work and house contents to move and people renting your house...we had 2 months while i worked my notice and we took the view that immigration should be able to fulfil their end of the deal in that time. We gritted our teeth, booked flights and I would have had to stump up the cash if we'd needed to alter them (I think it would have been £200 per flight but c'est la vie, this adventure has already cost me an arm and a leg).

simonsi · Apr 25th 2012, 7:05 pm

Booking flights won't create any sort of deadline that NZIS will be held to. You may get individual officers who will help out but you would be better trying to accelerate NZIS on the basis of the job start date and work from there.

simonsi · Apr 25th 2012, 7:08 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bemused_and_bewildered

Absolutely correct, but when you have a start date for work and house contents to move and people renting your house...we had 2 months while i worked my notice and we took the view that immigration should be able to fulfil their end of the deal in that time. We gritted our teeth, booked flights and I would have had to stump up the cash if we'd needed to alter them (I think it would have been £200 per flight but c'est la vie, this adventure has already cost me an arm and a leg).

Absolutely agree that if you lets everything just happen the timeline often won't be met but equally the risk of costs such as flight changes stay with the emigre as always...plus NZIS will always take the view that they may decline any visa and you would have to swallow the flight costs in that scenario.

jjsebba · Apr 25th 2012, 7:21 pm

Thanks guys... So the moral of the story is; wait for the visa first and deal with the chaos of booking flights at short notice?

simonsi · Apr 25th 2012, 8:17 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjsebba

Thanks guys... So the moral of the story is; wait for the visa first and deal with the chaos of booking flights at short notice?

Or quantify the change cost before booking and have to live with availability maybe not being ideal if you need to change at the last minute...

jjsebba · Apr 25th 2012, 8:34 pm

No perfect solution although I have to say I am veering towards booking flights first so that we can choose when we go but then if our visas don't come thorough on time, we'd have to change them anyway! Arrrgggg!
We also need to tie up all our loose ends here too, giving notice on our house, selling our van, getting final leaving dates for 2 jobs and crèche etc etc. you know how it is! I cant wait til it's all done and dusted!

Apr 23rd 2012, 11:59 am	#1
jjsebba Forum Regular Joined: Mar 2012 Location: Palmerston North Posts: 156	Flights first or visa first? Hi I have a job offer in Palmy and really aiming to be there by mid July at the latest. We've had a few hiccups so things have taken longer than I'd planned (passport renewal and SA police clearance) Do I wait to get my work visa issued first and then book (possibly at a higher price due to it being last minute,)or book flights and hope and pray that I get the visa in time? Thanks Janine

Apr 23rd 2012, 4:15 pm	#2
ellenl Just Joined Joined: Feb 2011 Posts: 28	Re: Flights first or visa first? Hi there, I had the same problem a while back with my partners visa but we ended up just changing the flights & paying for the changes (most fares are flexible) Ended up paying a little more than at first, check the type of fare you are buying, make sure its flexible? If you see a really good bargain flight i'd get it now. Ellen __________________ Ellen

Apr 23rd 2012, 6:18 pm	#3
crumpy10 Forum Regular crumpy10's Classifieds Joined: Feb 2009 Location: Foxton, (for now) Posts: 271	Re: Flights first or visa first? Not sure! Have you looked at skyscanner? its where we go to get flight prices, we can get a flight to NZ in june for 604 quid each... one way of course! HTH???? Anna __________________ stop the car, i want to get out Arrived 12/06/12 New home 04/08/12 Happy as.....

Apr 25th 2012, 8:35 am	#4
Bemused_and_bewildered Just Joined Joined: Apr 2012 Location: Christchurch Posts: 24	Re: Flights first or visa first? We booked flights and the visas arrived 3 days before we left - cutting it a bit fine! You can let immigration know that you have flights booked and they'll move your application from the slow lane to the slightly faster lane.

Apr 25th 2012, 8:43 am	#5
jjsebba Forum Regular Joined: Mar 2012 Location: Palmerston North Posts: 156	Re: Flights first or visa first? Hi Bemused. thanks very much. When I spoke to them yesterday, they advised NOT to book flights, but we REALLY need to get a deadline for things to be done by and my employer also wants to know when I'm going to start. 3 days is a bit fine, but I will probably go that route. How do you go about informing Immi you have booked flights?

Apr 25th 2012, 8:56 am	#6
MrsFychan Concierge Joined: Oct 2011 Location: Pukerua Bay, Porirua. Wellington, Blueys 14/02/12. I miss Castles Posts: 2,764	Re: Flights first or visa first? my OH got a work visa as well as the ITA so he started immediately in September. Myself and the kids came out a couple of months later on return flights as visa had not been approved when we flew over. We came over in January and the visas were approved in February. we moved the process of getting the Blueys over to Wellington for them to stick into our passports. __________________ 21/09/11 EOI ITA 28/11 23/11 Myself & DD meds referred 30/11 meds back 11/01/12 PR approved in principal. Approved website 31/01/12. Blueys 14/02/12 NZ House cheap calls 01245 454448

Apr 25th 2012, 11:40 am	#7
whitesand BE Enthusiast Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 567	Re: Flights first or visa first? I think you'd be very wise to wait until you have all the paperwork sorted. They advise you to do this and it's for good reason.

Apr 25th 2012, 11:43 am	#8
jjsebba Forum Regular Joined: Mar 2012 Location: Palmerston North Posts: 156	Re: Flights first or visa first? suppose. we just have to be patient and hope things come through quickly. we may get visas on the Monday and have to have flights for the Weds or so! fingers crossed.

Apr 25th 2012, 7:05 pm	#10
simonsi It is what it is Member Joined: Feb 2010 Location: Coatsville, Auckland Posts: 2,318	Re: Flights first or visa first? Booking flights won't create any sort of deadline that NZIS will be held to. You may get individual officers who will help out but you would be better trying to accelerate NZIS on the basis of the job start date and work from there. __________________ Arrived Auckland August 2010 This post has a non-redeemble value of $0.02

Apr 25th 2012, 7:21 pm	#12
jjsebba Forum Regular Joined: Mar 2012 Location: Palmerston North Posts: 156	Re: Flights first or visa first? Thanks guys... So the moral of the story is; wait for the visa first and deal with the chaos of booking flights at short notice?

Apr 25th 2012, 8:34 pm	#14
jjsebba Forum Regular Joined: Mar 2012 Location: Palmerston North Posts: 156	Re: Flights first or visa first? No perfect solution although I have to say I am veering towards booking flights first so that we can choose when we go but then if our visas don't come thorough on time, we'd have to change them anyway! Arrrgggg! We also need to tie up all our loose ends here too, giving notice on our house, selling our van, getting final leaving dates for 2 jobs and crèche etc etc. you know how it is! I cant wait til it's all done and dusted!

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